ANAHEIM, Calif./LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (June 3, 2009) – Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton and Disneyland President Ed Grier are squaring off – all in fun – as their local teams, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, head for the NBA Finals.

If you got to this page looking for details on the the Precious Moments Release, please click here.

It’s making the rounds now as some have noticed that the Disney Travel Agent website, which regularly makes park hours available separately on its site, has posted hours for September 2009 ahead of the official resort web site.

Although the site requires an account (and IATA number) to access the site, evidently the PDF featuring the hours can be accessed by anyone. At least for now.

So for the moment, interested parties can find those posted hours here.

Kids and families are invited to celebrate Father’s Day at special events hosted by Disney XD at ESPN Zone® locations in Anaheim, Chicago, Las Vegas, Denver, Washington DC, Baltimore, Atlanta and New York on SUNDAY, JUNE 21 from 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. (doors open at 9:15 a.m.). Reservations are required and guests should RSVP at www.disneyxdfathersday.com, between June 1 and June 15. Kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Vice President and Chief Scientist of Walt Disney Imagineering, Dr. Ben Schwegler, appears on the latest podcast from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to discuss the future of engineering. Dr. Schwegler talks about using innovation the engineering profession can use to overcome challenges as well as his own experiences. You cancheck it out here.

And don’t forget that Dr. Schwegler will be appearing on a panel as part of the World Science Festival’s panel, Wall-E’s World to explore revolutionizing waste management on Earth.

ANAHEIM and BURBANK, Calif., June 3 — Disney fans will be given unprecedented access to never-before-seen movies, TV shows, park experiences, collectibles and more from Sept. 10 to Sept. 13 at the Anaheim Convention Center when Disney and D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans present the first-ever D23 EXPO.

Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available beginning today at http://www.d23expo.com/. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities. Admission is discounted for members of D23.

“We hope this will be the ultimate event for the multitude of fans who have been so instrumental in Disney’s success,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger. “The D23 Expo represents the finest in Disney entertainment from across our great company and will offer a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience for people of all ages to enjoy.”

Disneyland Resort is excited to announce an agreement with Kitson Kids for a new retail store in Downtown Disney. Slated to open in July 2009, it will be the first location in Orange County and the first Kitson Kids outside Los Angeles. Kitson Kids will be located near the entrance to Downtown Disney, adjacent to AMC theaters.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kitson Kids to Downtown Disney,” said Tony Bruno, vice president Disneyland Resort hotels and Downtown Disney. “Kitson Kids offers a hip blend of merchandise that Orange County shoppers will only find here. Kitson Kids is a great fit with Downtown Disney’s eclectic blend of shops, restaurants and entertainment.”

Disneyland Resort is pleased to announce an agreement for the first-ever permanent retail location of the popular lifestyle brand LittleMissMatched. Due to open late summer 2009, it will be situated in the heart of Downtown Disney. A temporary LittleMissMatched store opened May 18, next to where the permanent store will be located.

“We are excited that Downtown Disney was selected as the first bricks and mortar location of this innovative concept,” said Tony Bruno, vice president Disneyland Resort hotels and Downtown Disney. “LittleMissMatched offers unique merchandise for the young and young at heart, and is a terrific complement to Downtown Disney’s eclectic blend of shops, restaurants and entertainment.”

In light of some concerns it has over the public perception of an ongoing lawsuit (as most recently reported on by the Orlando Sentinel here).

To summarize, a lawsuit was initially filed against Disney claiming that those who use the Segway for mobility purposes were being discriminated against when not allowed to take their Segway into the parks. Disney’s response is that a guest on a Segway can not be monitored and that it inherently poses a security risk to the safety of not only the guest using the device unsupervised, but the rest of the guests. In addition, the Segway units can travel faster than walking or, in particular, the ECVs that the park usually recommends, which essentially gives Segway riders a speed advantage. Segway’s response almost appears to speak out of both sides of the mouth since they obviously don’t want to offend Disney and hurt/jeopardize the longstanding relationship but they evidently take offense to the suggestion that the devices are in any way unsafe to anyone (when used properly), at least when taken out of context.

The full statement is as follows:

BEDFORD, N.H., June 3 — Segway feels that issues raised in a class action lawsuit against Walt Disney World Co. pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Mahala Ault et al. v. Walt Disney World Co.) may have caused some confusion about the safety of our Segway(R) Personal Transporter (“Segway PT”) product. The plaintiffs in this action allege that the policy of Walt Disney World Co. (“Disney”) not to permit two-wheeled vehicles violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). While Disney and the plaintiffs have reached a compromise in the lawsuit, some have objected to the settlement based on the premise that they prefer to use a Segway PT at the Walt Disney World Resort instead of the mobility devices permitted by Disney. Segway is not a party to this lawsuit and has not taken a position in this dispute. However, since the issue of safety has arisen in the context of the lawsuit, we are taking this opportunity to comment.

A 5’3″ LEGO model of Buzz Lightyear, constructed from 40,000 LEGO bricks in 250 hours by 3 Master Builders, was unveiled by Disney Consumer Products at the Licensing International Expo to showcase the excitement “building” around the classic Toy Story franchise. Disney will support the franchise with the re-release of the first two movies in 3D for a two week engagement this October, a third new movie in summer 2010 and a spectacular consumer products line.

ORLANDO, Fla., June 3, 2009 – Walt Disney Imagineers are putting the finishing touches on a collection of beloved Disney characters that will lend their magic to the three-story lobby of the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children.

Known for the support and protection they provided their dearest friends, characters including Timon and Pumba from “The Lion King,” Baloo from “The Jungle Book” and Sebastian and Flounder from “The Little Mermaid will have leading roles in the hospital’s interactive lobby.